Aus Government Blames Alternative Music For Terrorism

A new awareness initiative launched by the Australian Government, which aims to illustrate to young people the circumstances that can lead them to being radicalised, has shockingly linked listening to alternative music to terrorism. 

As ABC reports, the Radicalisation Awareness Kit launched this week by the Minister Assisting The Prime Minister On Terrorism, Michael Keenan, shows a series of examples and case studies aimed at young people and in one study under the 'Violent Extremism' section, it tells the story of a girl named 'Karen' who gets involved in the music scene.

'Karen' becomes involved in the "alternative music scene, student politics and left-wing activism" before leaving home and gets arrested "on numerous occasions", as well as being "totally cut off from her family."

The case study also cites environmental activism as a form of radicalisation, as 'Karen' joins a forest camp with an intention of "barricading areas that were being logged, spiking trees and sabotaging machinery."

Jonathan La Nauze of the Australian Conservation Federation called the study "disappointing".

"It sounds like something that's been dreamt up in the cigar room of the Institute of Public Affairs. There's no resemblance to the way that people in Australia feel about their environment and the need to stand up to protect it," La Nouze said. 

"To link standing up for the places that we love, standing up for the future of our children, to violence and extremism and terrorism, does nothing to combat a real threat to the safety of people or to respect the very peaceful and very meaningful protests that people engage in from all walks of life to ensure that we have a safe future in this country."

While many are understandably outraged by the new kit, Keenan has defended the study by claiming it will help teachers to spot signs of someone that may be susceptible to radicalisation.

"We wanted to explain to teachers who are really on the frontline of this - because we know that school children are being radicalised - to look out for certain signs that would lead them to be concerned about somebody, and if they are concerned about somebody moving down the dark path of radicalisation, moving down the path of violence, then they'll know what they can do about it," Keenan said.

Check out the full case study via ABC Radio's Mark Colvin below.